In response to the surprise indictment of David Daleiden, lead investigator of the controversial Planned Parenthood videos released by the Center for Medical Progress in 2015, a petition by the pro-life news site LifeSite News has garnered just over 50,000 signatures requesting that the charges be dropped.
The petition urges Harris County district attorney Devon Anderson to “drop all charges against David Daleiden, investigate Planned Parenthood.” Following the bombshell videos which purported to expose Planned Parenthood’s illegal sale of fetal body parts, the Texas grand jury had investigated Planned Parenthood, but returned a no-bill on Monday. Instead, they indicted Daleiden, charging him with the purchase and sale of human organs, a misdemeanor, and with tampering with a governmental record, a felony.
“These are baseless charges that punish the innocent for the crimes of the guilty,” LifeSite U.S. Bureau Chief Ben Johnson told PJ Media in an email statement. “David Daleiden and his associates only offered to buy human body parts to expose the fact that Planned Parenthood is all too willing to sell them, and CMP succeeded — apparently too well.”
Johnson added that “this young man is now facing 20 years in prison for exposing Planned Parenthood as a criminal enterprise that receives half-a-billion dollars in taxpayer funding every year. Everyone should phone the DA’s office and tell them: Reverse the charges.”
LifeSite News’ petition, released Monday, has already surpassed half of its 100,000 signature goal. “If we hit 100,000 signatures,” Johnson explained, “we will fly to Houston and personally hand all of the signatures to district attorney Devon Anderson and as many members of the Harris County Grand Jury that we can. They must know that pressure is being applied nationwide against this miscarriage of justice.”
Here is the text of the petition:
To: The Harris County Grand Jury and District Attorney Devon Anderson
I am appalled at the decision to turn a blind eye to clear video evidence showing Planned Parenthood harvesting the body parts of fully formed aborted babies and selling them for a profit.
Even worse is the decision to instead file charges against David Daleiden, who heroically pursued his investigation against Planned Parenthood using accepted methods of undercover investigative journalism.
I urge you to immediately drop these absurd charges against David and his associates, and to instead refocus your efforts on where they belong: on the inhuman practices of Planned Parenthood in utilizing the bodies of the babies they have killed to make a profit.
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